Image Codecs
Image codecs (coder-decoders) are software or hardware tools that compress and decompress digital image data, enabling efficient storage and transmission. They use algorithms to reduce file sizes while balancing visual quality, with common types including lossless (e.g., PNG) and lossy (e.g., JPEG) compression. These codecs are essential in applications like web development, photography, and video streaming to optimize performance and bandwidth usage.
Developers should learn image codecs when working with web applications, mobile apps, or multimedia systems to improve load times and user experience by selecting appropriate formats (e.g., JPEG for photos, WebP for web images). They are crucial in scenarios requiring efficient asset management, such as e-commerce sites with large image galleries or real-time video processing, to reduce storage costs and enhance data transfer speeds.